Bridget is the YA author who got an agent--and a cancer diagnosis--in the same month. The community is holding auctions to raise money for the many uncovered medical expenses.Auction items can be viewed at http://www.32auctions.com/view_auction?id=bridget&pwd=rules - or just go to www.32auctions.com and use the Auction ID: bridget and Password: rules (as in: Bridget rules!!) .You... Continue Reading →
More wisdom from Gail Carson Levine
I just love her blog. Check out the latest:Two posts ago Kim asked: One question: Do you find it difficult to make everything matter in a story, if you know what I mean? It seems like there's a lot of pressure on a writer to make everything in a story contribute to the story's progression... Continue Reading →
Alice Pope seeks queries from novelists
She's working on NOVEL WRITING & SHORT STORY WRITER'S MARKET, CWIM's sister publication solely for fiction writers, and she's in search of articles:I'm currently planning the lineup for the 2011 edition, and I'm looking for queries for articles and interviews for NSSWM. The articles are broken up into these categories:The Writing LifeCraft & TechniqueGetting PublishedFor... Continue Reading →
Let the holiday shopping begin!
We have such wonderful talent in our region, and while there's nothing better books for holiday gifts, you can also support your fellow creators and dazzle your loved ones with unique handmade items made by our very own SCBWI-WWA colleagues:Paintings by Craig OrbackMost of Craig's work is oil on canvas, but you can also see... Continue Reading →
Studio tours: Kjersten Anna Hayes
We get to look inside KJ's studio just in time to say goodbye to it. As you can read more about on her blog, she's embarking on a two-year adventure in Malaysia.KJ has done amazing work for our organization, coordinating both our events and class calendars as well as the Bellingham schmoozes. Plus, she's a... Continue Reading →
Like telling yarns?
A new online publication for YA lit enthusiasts seeks submissions: YARN, a new online literary magazine for Young Adult readers, is seeking fiction, poetry, and essays for its debut issue. Writing should be of special interest to 14-18 year old readers, but can be written by writers of any age or background. Submissions by teens... Continue Reading →
Studio tours: Kate Higgins
Here's the lovely Hansville studio of Kate Higgins: CedarMoon Studio (click on picture to see a larger view) is the greatest gift my husband ever gave me besides a wedding ring and our two children (Tyra-29 and Whit-26).It is my sanctuary, a place where 'I have an idea!' and a place where messes don't count.... Continue Reading →
Studio tours: Christina Wilsdon
For more than a decade my office was upstairs in our house--it was a sizable room that led into a weird smaller room with a sloping roof and lots of storage space; I could watch the crows land on the neighbor's roof to sip water from the gutters. But my preteen daughter held me to... Continue Reading →
More on narrative arcs
Darcy Pattison wrote a second post on how narrative arcs work in picture books. Understanding this is essential if you want to tell a story in this incredibly compressed format:Very simple picture books still have a narrative arc, even though the word count is extremely small. Yesterday, we looked at an example of a great... Continue Reading →
Does your character have good flaws?
Plot to Punctuation has a nifty post up about character flaws and how you can use them to drive your narrative:To really make your story come alive, you’ll also do well to give your characters flaws which enhance the story’s underlying drama. It’s all well and good to have a character who is afraid of... Continue Reading →